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Preethi J

Here's a feel of what it is going to be like to go places in a technology-filled world.

A day in the life of an urban nomad, year 2010.

You land in a new city and as you step down from the plane, a welcome message pops up.

It gives you a brief on the city, including images of top sights and attractions the city offers. You save the message for later.

Meanwhile your mobile buzzes: it's an e-mail briefing you on work. You pocket the smart phone, call for the taxi to take you to your hotel.

You didn't bring any foreign currency, so the smart phone is whipped out again.

You swipe it against a contact pad and the amount is deducted from your bank account using the m-money service provided by your bank.

Work takes up most of the day, and you keep changing the battery of your laptop to keep it going.

You are able to connect to the high-speed local area network (intranet) in the office using your laptop's wireless antenna.

Outside, you are able to log into the Internet at a cyber cafe using WiFi. Evening comes and you set out to see the sights.

Travel has metamorphosed with the use of technology.

From the very start of the journey — researching on weekend destinations or booking tickets online, to the culmination — blogging your experience and sharing photos of your trip abroad with colleagues — technology has become pervasive and a necessary companion to the urban nomad.

The laptop lets you stay connected through the Internet, to your home, headquarters and friends even in a new country. With Web sites such as Yahoo!'s new Our City, you can learn about the city you are visiting.

Online maps, instant information from Wikipedia and cross-references to blogs will equip a traveller with enough information to enjoy and appreciate the new geography.

Now many hotels offer Ethernet connection (cable to the Internet) right in your room.

With a smart wireless router, you could sit on the comfortable bed and surf, instead of being stuck to the desk.

Tips for a laptop-toting traveller

: Carry extra batteries for your laptop. Carry APC's international power adaptor (a swiss army knife of sorts for plugging into any country's sockets.)

The evolving mobile

Now smart phone brings you innovative applications that let you discover the city. Digital maps can be viewed on the GPRS-enabled hand-held.

Soon, location-based services will bring a new flavour to tourism.

A message pops up when you pass by a museum or a monument, giving you facts and tips on what are called Points of Interest (PoI).

Top Indian cellular operators now provide international roaming in most countries (probably excluding Greenland and some areas of war-infested Iraq, but if you are travelling there, there are other things you will have to worry about).

For the mobile-less, there are telephone booths on highways, such as Idea Cellular's bright set-ups on the Pune expressway, that dial out emergency numbers.

GPS

Trekkers use GPS to navigate through woods and hills in southern India. Devices bought abroad are turned on at the top of a summit, and tracks planned while sitting next to a waterfall.

The GPS device shows the co-ordinates, and this is used in conjunction with maps printed out to determine paths.

Maps inbuilt in these devices are still unaffordable.

Video Blogging

Travelling without all necessary equipment can it make a poor experience.

And we aren't talking about forgetting the toothpaste, either.

It's that moment when you realise you forgot to charge your mobile before leaving home to catch the flight.. and you are expecting an important call.

It's that second when you rummage in your bag and wonder where the extra battery for the laptop is.

The resounding slap as you smack your forehead annoyed that you forgot cells for your digicam again!

preethij@thehindu.co.in

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